7 Ways to Say Thanks
 By Patrick L. Wynne

Happy customers are repeat customers. Repeat customers are the least expensive customers to market to, and the most profitable customers to sell to.

So after you sell your product or service to customers and make them happy, how can you keep them happy? How can you reinforce customer satisfaction in between sales? The answer is simple and straightforward: Say thank you.

There is little in life as ugly as ingratitude. When people feel they are taken for granted, they can bare grudges. Customers who intuitively feel that you are not grateful for their business are likely to desert you for a competitor as soon as they see a cheaper price or get quicker service or find even a marginally better product.

But grateful customers are loyal. Even when your price isn’t the best, or your product isn’t quite as fancy, or your service isn’t any better than a competitor’s, grateful customers may resist the urge to desert you simply because they are grateful that you appreciate their business.

So, how do you feed this reciprocal gratitude, yours for them, and theirs for you? Here are seven suggestions for saying thank you, without great expense or much effort:

1. The most obvious. Graciously thank your customers at the time they make a purchase. At this point they should be pleased because they have just persuaded themselves (or have been persuaded by you) that the purchase is worth their money. Let them know you are just as pleased to have their business. Establish the bond of reciprocal gratitude immediately. Your cost for this tactic: Zero dollars and a smile.

2. Be specific. “Thank you” is such an ubiquitous phrase, it runs the risk of being meaningless. Be sure to add, “Thank you for your business,” which makes it clear what you are thankful for.

3. Follow up the sale. Prove that your concern for your customers continues even after the cash register has closed. Contact buyers later to thank them again – and while you are at it, inquire about their satisfaction. This can be done by phone, letter, postcard or e-mail – all relatively inexpensive.
   
   This belated thank you reinforces the gratitude bond, giving customers reason to recall how happy they were on the day of the sale. More importantly, this contact gives you an opportunity to remedy any dissatisfaction that may have crept in after the purchase. You can find out about and address customer dissatisfaction, rather than let the customer fade away unnoticed, never to return.

4. Proportional thanks. Substantial purchases and substantial clients warrant more than token gratitude. Gift baskets crammed with coffee cups, t-shirts, candies, flowers and snacks can be assembled for relatively little cost, but carry the connotation of substance. When you close a big sale, or an especially valued client returns for repeat business, follow up with a goody basket that conveys appropriate gravitas.

5. In-kind thank you. Since customers have already paid money for what you sell, it’s a good bet that a free portion of the same product or service is likely to be appreciated. Say a surprising “thank you” by delivering a thirteenth box on Tuesday to supplement the twelve they bought on Monday.

6. Personalized gratitude. Get to know your clients not just to serve them better with what you sell, but also to add that special touch. Although you sell bookkeeping services, you may know your client loves jazz. After tax season, send a “thank you for your business” note along with a CD of your client’s favorite saxophonist.

7. Valuable trinkets. Not every thank you gesture needs to be overwhelming. The bottom line is that it really is the thought that counts. A packet of Post-it notes, a bag of microwave popcorn, even a simple hand-written note all carry the implicit message that you appreciate your customer’s business. But unless you express it, they may never know.

(Posted July 2005)

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